One year into biking.. Advice please

[protocoder]

Hi All,

I am into bikes for commuting last 1 year and really have bad experience as made bad choices being miser and being bit careless, was really worried about my bike being stolen.
So had old bikes, and recently huffy and now i am looking to spend a bit more, a bit more wiser, yes not yet as wiser as you guys hopping on Airplane speed on pedals .. Not Yet.

Please could you advice me for my needs, extensive use of average 20 km per day(office, grocery etc etc within city and on week end biking the steep roads of mountains. Well that's all not more but can i get combination of effortless biking, price and durability please.

My initial search on net gave me these results Specialized, Trek 3900, Cannondale, GT, Kona, Jamis, Scott, k2, Ironhorse, Intense, Santacruz, Rockymountain,GaryFisher, Avanti, Giant, Raleigh etc looking for something in the range of not more than 600 dollars. More search only to find the secret of value of money vs durability vs comfort. Any help is appreciated.
Regards

 

[jackson123]

Hi, you can check these Novarra bicycles, they are in your budget, and have good reviews. I have got my Ponderosa 29er, it has Handles Well, Lightweight, Rugged, Smooth Ride and Versatile.

 

[protocoder]

Hi, you can check these Novarra bicycles, they are in your budget, and have good reviews. I have got my Ponderosa 29er, it has Handles Well, Lightweight, Rugged, Smooth Ride and Versatile.

Thank you Jackson,
Looks really good to me. I will enquire about the price tag and availability in New Zealand soon. Thank you very much, is there any other brands you think, i should consider.

Regards

 

[mulcirfla]

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[konasunset]

Hi there howzit goin... I just wanted to say that for your needs I would highly recommend a hard tail mountain bike with a front shock. It is great for commuting and is versatile and comfortable as well. It will stand up to city riding or dirt riding and you can even put road slicks on it. I recommend Vittoria tires with a road tread or also Specialized Armadillo tires (punture-resistant) which will last you... and the slicks make it alot easier to pedal. As for the bike... I am very partial to Specialized, GT, K2, or Giant (Specialized being my personal favorite). It might not be made in the USA but you are getting a great deal for your money. For 600 you can get a bike that is well equipped for all your needs. In fact I would spend about 400-500 and spend the rest on accessories to get your bike ready for commuting. Also remember to get an under the saddle bag to put an extra tube and some tire levers and a multi tool. You will thank yourself. I hope that helps. Happy pedaling

 

[protocoder]

Hello Konasunset,
I wish i could afford specialized, GT, Kona .. my apologies, i should have mentioned i have budget of 500-600 New Zealand dollars. Specialized bike and others in your awsome bikes list here are in the range close to 1000+ dollars. . So i was excited by the reviews of Novarra, as suggested by Jackson, but all my search to many retailers went in vain as they are not stocking up. I am not sure what to do, the other option is spend close to 500-800 on used bikes of brands mentioned, but my experience of used bikes has been very bad.
Please can you do me a favor, Blade 8 C Belt Drive - Fitness Bike - Avanti. these are brands of Avati Blade, can you go through them and let me know if they are good for the value please. I need some expertize there.
Also suggest what to change, so that i can have smooth ride, puncture free as i am not skilled yet to change my tubes, fix punctures etc. Thank you.

Regards

 

[alfeng]

Hello Konasunset,
I wish i could afford specialized, GT, Kona .. my apologies, i should have mentioned i have budget of 500-600 New Zealand dollars. Specialized bike and others in your awsome bikes list here are in the range close to 1000+ dollars. . So i was excited by the reviews of Novarra, as suggested by Jackson, but all my search to many retailers went in vain as they are not stocking up. I am not sure what to do, the other option is spend close to 500-800 on used bikes of brands mentioned, but my experience of used bikes has been very bad.
Please can you do me a favor, Blade 8 C Belt Drive - Fitness Bike - Avanti. these are brands of Avati Blade, can you go through them and let me know if they are good for the value please. I need some expertize there.
Also suggest what to change, so that i can have smooth ride, puncture free as i am not skilled yet to change my tubes, fix punctures etc.

FWIW. My impression has always been that NOVARA is REI's "house" brand ... so, they will probably be difficult to buy for those who do not live in North America.

I'm not sure about the potential complications of a bike with a "belt" drive 10+ years from now, but I think that (although I don't own one) I'm becoming a fan of the Shimano NEXUS 8-speed internal hub.

The Shimano ALFINE is a more current (refined?) version of the NEXUS hub, BTW.

MOST Shimano components are functionally equivalent ... the less expensive stuff has a lot of stamped steel instead of cast alloy ... so, the bikes with the less expensive component will weigh more ... and, most of Shimano's inexpensive components will probably last "forever" if you keep them lubed or greased, as necessary (to avoid rust).

You can probably let your budget be your guide in choosing between the various AVANTI Blade bikes.

 

[konasunset]

I'm sorry I don't know Avanti as a bicycling brand. Ok we will switch to plan B recommendation. I highly recommend you go with a name brand bike, I destroy bikes because I ride alot and I ride hard... so am pretty familiar with brands that hold up and last. I would say that if you have 300 dollars US equivalent... I would buy a Specialized Hard Rock Sport, or a Giant or K2. Trek is going to cost a bit more bc it is made in the US. I had a HArd Rock Sport and my friends in Hawaii were jealous at the deal I got. They are about 300-350 US but so much worth it. If you get a 500-600 dollar bike... chances are you are just getting an upgrade on your components and maybe some disc brakes. So it's up to you... but that's what I recommend. Also Specialized are just smooth pedaling bikes. You will be happy if you make the stretch. No need to get extra stuff right away. Spend as much as you can on your initial bicycle investment. I hope that helps. Good luck...

 

[protocoder]

Thank you every one.

I purchased GT Transeo 4.0.
My experience is mixed, it is light and easy however the left shift to 3 on any of the speeds of right gear is squeaky and can feel a push hit every time my left peddal is vertical and about to push. My chain went off after some gear shifting with chain falling off to extreme left (inside) and chain at the rear was smallest sprocket.
Is that normal?
Shouldn't we use the left gear 3 (incidentally) highest unless i am down the hill.

Thanks in advance

 

[konasunset]

I think all of those brands are good. I favor Specialized, GT, Giant, Cannondale, Cervelo, and Felt... but whatever you decide within your price range... protect your investment. I have had 2 nice bikes stolen and it suxx. Get a Kryptonite or equivalent strength U-lock and a thick cable lock. U lock the back wheel and frame to the bike rack or fence etc... and cable lock the front wheel to the frame and fence./rack. People steal bikes. So I always recommend this method. And remember to remove your seat and you are good to go.